Strategies
by DPJP15
Summary: When Katniss loses her only chance of survival in the games, her world is turned upside down into a spiral of never ending torment. What would happen, if Katniss endured the games without her famous bow and arrows? What does this mean for Peeta? The other tributes? the legacy of the Mockingjay?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games characters or plots.

This is just a little one off about what could have happened if Cato had lost his temper a little earlier in the games. Please excuse any mistakes, they are all mine and I'll take full responsibility for them, in the meanwhile, please enjoy :)

Katniss looked down from her vantage point, high in the trees, eyes fixated on the gleaming bow, her bow, in Glimmer's hands, Glimmer's incompetent hands. Thunk, an arrow whizzed past her and lodged into the tree trunk behind her. Pulling it out, she waved it in the air teasingly, leering down at them, all the while thinking, 'if I were holding that bow, I could kill you, all of you, right now on the spot, without even breaking a sweat' .Cato growled irritably "Stop it Glimmer, you're useless at that, give it here." Katniss watched on in horror as he proceeded to snatch it from Glimmer's hands and snap it across his leg, severing the string twice for good measure. Her heart dropped to her stomach as she swallowed thickly. Without that bow, her chances of winning had just been reduced greatly. Clenching her fists, she peered down to listen on to the Careers conversation. Cato threw the remains of the bow on the ground and brushed off his hands "New strategy, from now on, stick to your normal weapons, any weapons not needed will be destroyed so no one else besides us can use them, understood?" Cato snaps, the rest of the Career pack grunt back in reply. Glimmer clears her throat and speaks up, sounding more than a little peeved off "What weapon will I have to use now?" Clove flicks a knife in Glimmer's direction, smirking as she jumps back a little when it makes a solid stick into the ground in front of her. "Good, now prepare camp, it'll be cold tonight, and she'll have to come down sooner or later."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger games in any way. This probably will not be exactly identical to the books and the movie,(Because I belong to the itty bitty group of people who root for the careers) this is just something I wrote for the people who reviewed and said that the last chapter was great, thankyou so much, so I hope you enjoy and hopefully there will be more reviews and more chapters soon :) All mistakes are mine and I take full responsibility for them.**

After settling down into her sleeping bag, Katniss mulled over the day's events. Apart from almost being blasted to the heavens with fireballs and having her only hope of winning the games ruined, the day had gone pretty well. She leaned back against the tree and hissed in pain, gingerly bringing her hands up to her face. They were getting worse, an angry red, with pus filled blisters, they made her gag at the sight of them. If something didn't happen now, she wouldn't make it out of this tree alive either due to infection, or starvation. Most likely the former. Something rustled in the foliage of the tree opposite her and she reached behind her, for a bow that wasn't there. Rue, her dainty outline and bright eyes clearly seen in the almost fading daylight.

She pointed a finger to a spot above Katniss's head. Slowly, she looked up and gasped, a wasp's nest hung at least five metres above her head, a few wasp's buzzing around lazily. In the torch light of the career camp, she could clearly see the shiny gold of the wasps. Tracker jackers, a hybrid wasp, spawned in the Capitol labs, a sting so potent you could die at just one sting. But what did Rue want her to do? She glanced over to the girl, but she was gone. A burst of snoring cut through her thoughts and she peered down to see the Career pack, all sleeping, except Glimmer, probably on night watch. Drop the nest down, that's it! A new hope filled her body and she quickly unbuckled herself before frowning. She might be ready to do it, but were her hands? She shrugged them off, they still throbbed a bit, but it would be alright.

A parachute fluttered down, with a small jar attached at the end. Katniss unscrewed the jar, cautiously sniffing it. It smelled harshly of chemicals and a little minty. She prodded the surface with her finger, sighing in relief as the throbbing stopped altogether. Burn medicine "Oh, Haymitch, thank you." She whispered into the night sky. After lathering all her burns with the stuff, she set to work. Pulling out a knife, she paused, if she started now, it would be too noisy and they would probably run away and her plan would be ruined. The anthem! Yes, she'd wait till the anthem, then she could do her work in quiet. A solid thump and a muffled bark came from below. Glimmer was kicking Cato in the side, barking at him "Cato, get up! It's your watch now!" "Mmph, I'm up, I'm up." Great, now if she screwed up, two careers were up and awake to warn the others. Just wait for the anthem, then get to work.

 **I hope you guys enjoyed it, so now please review and tell me what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger games in any way, any mistakes are all mine and I take full responsibility for them. Just a little note, not every single thing will be the same as in the books, as this is a situation where Katniss doesn't have her bow anymore, so sad** **L** **Anyway, please enjoy, read and review everyone!**

Slowly and carefully, she crept up the boughs of the tree, relying on the anthem to play for as long as she needed it. As she neared the nest, she noticed that some tracker jackers weren't even moving. It's the smoke, the smoke from the campfire, Katniss realized. Awkwardly, she started to saw away at the branch, praying that the wasps wouldn't wake up suddenly and sting her to death. Down below, she could hear Cato muttering and cursing up at the projection of faces in the sky, or rather, who wasn't up in the sky. The anthem was nearing the end, she had to hurry or the plan would be ruined. Sawing frantically, she didn't notice the blisters bursting on her right hand, all that mattered was that the nest would drop down onto its target.

Almost there, crack, creak. The nest whistled down onto the camp of careers. Chaos ensued down at the career camp and everyone is running, trying desperately to escape them. Katniss crept behind the foliage, planning to run in the opposite direction to the lake after the careers had all gone. Cato had an unconscious Clove slung over his shoulder and Marvel and Glimmer were stumbling after. Three and four were nowhere in sight, probably gone already. And Peeta, where was he? Katniss hadn't bothered to even look at him that night, but now that he was gone, she hoped that he was safe.

A sting on her knee, cheek, neck. The effects of the poison begin to take effect as she starts feeling woozy and nauseous. The lake, get to the lake, then you'll be safe. She clumsily staggered down the tree, running as fast as she could without falling. I did it, the plan worked, I did it! That one thought kept her going as she reached the little lake. She fell to her knees and panted in exhaustion. Little ants, creeping all over her, crawling in her mouth, ears, nose. She screamed and frantically stood up, brushing off the non-existent ants. In all her frenzied movements, she snagged her foot on a branch and fell over into a small pit, where she continued to tremble and half heartedly brush the ants away. Finally tired out, she curled up into a ball and finally succumbed to the hallucinations.

 **Authors note: I am so stupid! I completely forgot about Peeta until now - Face palm - Anyway, probably shouldn't have told you guys that... Please enjoy, and I know this must be annoying, but please, please review, it would mean so much to listen to you guys thoughts about this :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger games in any way, any mistakes are all mine and I take full responsibility for them. Just a little note, omg, I never ever thought that you guys would actually like this and tell me that you actually want to read it! This is even more popular than my other story, 'I Volunteer' so a massive thank you thank you thank you! –Loud squealing and jumping around the room in happiness- Enjoy!**

A groan erupted from Katniss's mouth as she sat up, looking around the clearing blearily. What happened? Oh, that's right, the tracker jacker stings. In that case, how long had she been out? Judging from her painfully stiff joints and incredibly dry mouth, quite possibly a few days. If so, there probably hadn't been a lot of action, meaning the capitol will be surely getting bored out of their minds. She scoffed and pulled herself upright. Of course it would, why wouldn't it? Seeing innocent children being mauled to death is the most entertaining thing ever. Even so, she had to keep moving. The careers could be anywhere, although some could have died while she was out cold, highly unlikely though, but- Rue! She jerked upwards, a horrible thought entering her brain. What about Rue? No, she had a head start, but it wouldn't take many to kill her, she was so small… No, she couldn't think like that, she got away and she is alive and well, away from danger of any hybrid wasps. Stretching her joints and testing her limbs, she thought of some strategies. Bow? Nope. Alliances? A probability. Hiding out and waiting for everyone to die? Not a chance. Without her bow, she couldn't hunt, defend herself, basically, her survival had been relying heavily on that bow. There was her knife though, but that required her to actually get into the situation, and not just stand on the sidelines, quiet and unseen.

But first, water. Katniss pulled out a water bottle from her bag and lay back down, still a little too sore to move. It must have been at least two or three days, even though the tracker jackers were genetically modified, their venom couldn't possibly knock someone out for say, a week? No. Which brought her to Peeta. Peeta, who she hadn't seen since that frenzied night, who she had no idea was alive or not. She noticed a green, pus like substance dripping onto her pants and looked up confusedly until she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and her hand came in contact with a giant, swollen wasp sting on her cheek. It was oozing, a sticky, smelly, green mess. Her face contorted in a grimace and she gingerly pulled up the pant leg of her right leg. The same result on her knee, as well as on her neck. By now she was feeling well rested, so she decided to go and gather some roots and berries for a simple meal, until she could figure out what to do about hunting.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger games in any way, any mistakes are all mine and I take full responsibility for them. Time skip forward to the alliance with Rue. Just a little note, I think that in a kill or be killed situation, I don't think that someone as smart as Rue would trust so easily, in fact, no one would, you could die, and so, on that note, on with the story.**

After she returned to the little patch of wood with a handful of roots and plants, she settled down to chop them into bitesize pieces to make a meal. Along the way, she'd also managed to re-fill the water bottles and clean and treat some of her wounds at the lake. While she waited for the meal to finish cooking on the fire, she tried once again to think of a strategy. Not for me, she thought. For Prim, this is all for Prim. A rustling came from behind her and she couldn't help but reach behind her for her bow, hunter's instinct, she supposed.

A child's boot peeked out from under a bush. She sighed in relief and the corner of her lip twitched in an almost smirk "You know, the careers aren't the only ones who can make an alliance." Rue crept out from the bushes, face looking unsure and a little defiant. "Why would you want me for an ally? Why would I want you as an ally? You can't even hunt now." Katniss bit her lip and stood taller "We'll watch out for each other, and it doesn't matter if I can't hunt, I can still set traps and I know which plants to eat." "Well, so do I." Rue says, although she sounds a little unsure. Katniss walks forward, the gold of the mocking jay pin glinting in the sun. She offered a hand to Rue, smiling a little "We can work together, we'll get rid of the careers and then we'll go separate ways, free to do whatever we want, the alliance doesn't have to be forever." Rue didn't answer, instead she stared at her feet before finally looking up and focusing her attention to Katniss's cheek "I can fix your stings."

Moments later, they were sharing a rough meal of roots, plants and berries that Rue assured Katniss were completely fine to eat. She grinned as Katniss looked on in uncertainty as she popped another berry in her mouth. After a few moments of silence Rue finally spoke up "I'm sorry I was so mean to you before" she looked down at her lap, cheeks turning red. "That's alright." Katniss smiled softly. Rue smiled sweetly up at Katniss, and almost immediately her heart clenched, she looked almost like Prim when she smiled like that. "Thank you, it's just, I really need to go home to my family, I have to, you have no idea how much I need them." So do I, she wanted to say, but instead she nodded and suggested that they finish their meal and get moving to avoid the careers. Somewhere, there was a family, weeping for their child, and somewhere, there was a boy, pining after a girl he couldn't find.

 **A/N: I'm in a generous mood (Not really, I just had to get this out before I forgot about it) so here's an extra chapter.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger games in any way, any mistakes are all mine and I take full responsibility for them. Honestly, I had no idea this story would get this far, but now that it has, please review and tell me what you think should happen next, does Katniss find Peeta, or does she rough it out till the end?**

"So, do you have a plan?" Rue peers out from where she's resting in the trees. Katniss sits up on her branch and raises and eyebrow "Plan for what? Food? Defence?" Rue sighs and settles back down on her branch "The plan for the careers." Katniss lay back down, resting her hands on her stomach "I don't really know" She confessed "the only way I could have defeated the careers was literally broken apart and cut into two, so I really don't know." Rue hummed in reply "Alright, I trust you, we'd better rest or in the morning we'll be dead tired." Katniss felt warmed by Rue's complete and utter trust in her, she just hoped that she wouldn't let the little girl down.

How was she going to defeat the careers? Without her bow, she was a sitting duck, just waiting for them to come and shoot her. She thought hard, chewing on her lip and furrowing her brow. Careers, the supplies, weapons, survival, that's it, the food supply! All she had to do was to get rid of the supplies and the careers wouldn't be able to eat, she probably wouldn't be lucky enough for them to drop dead from starvation, but still… In the morning she'd tell Rue of her plan, but for now, it was time to sleep.

No one died today, the anthem played and that was it. There was only a handful of tributes left. Turned out that district one tribute, Glimmer, had died shortly after the wasp attack, along with the remaining district three tribute. Rue had also told her that after the wasps nest had dropped, she'd watched the careers camp and she hadn't seen Peeta "So, he must be alive, hiding, but alive." At those words, Katniss had felt almost an immense relief lifted off her shoulders. If she was successful with the plan, there was no way Peeta would get caught, he was hiding out somewhere.

But, if she was to destroy their supplies, how would she do it? A fire, perhaps, that was the only possible solution she and Rue had come up with so far. Rue climbed down triumphant from a nearby tree. She held out a hand, two eggs nestled in her palm, as Katniss roused herself from sleep. They talked more about the plan while walking, and Katniss came to learn more about Rue, as she listened to her hum and sing softly. The oldest of six children, always looking out for them, the one thing she loved most, was music.

The basic idea was that Rue would create a diversion, and Katniss would figure a way to destroy the supplies while the careers were distracted. They agreed to split up and do their part and meet back at their old camping spot.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger games in any way, any mistakes are all mine and I take full responsibility for them. OMG guys, slowly but surely, this story is gaining more and more follows and favourites! Thank you guys so much :) Apologies if the chapters are getting too fast paced and, you know, a bit blurgh, blame it on the four assignments and lengthy speech due this week! But please enjoy and review.**

Katniss coughed and hobbled away as the smoke billowed up from around her. When she had seen Fox face hopping around the camp and found out that the camp was laced with explosives, she came up with a new plan, to throw large bundles of lit grass and twigs to try and set off the bombs, and if not, the flaming bundles of tinder would do the trick. She had knocked over a sack of apples in the process, and sure enough, the explosives were set off. Not only that, the game-makers had decided to create a giant wall of flame to heighten the entertainment. She yelped and ducked as a tongue of flame came too close for comfort. A lake! She ran the last few metres and plunged in. The flames roared from above, but as long as she was in water, it wouldn't be so bad. She stayed submerged for as long as she dared before bobbing to the surface. At last the worst of the fire was over. She stayed in the water for a little longer, enjoying the way the rippling water soothed her sore muscles. That's enough now, she thought to herself, and started to wade towards the large rocks to dry herself and check her supplies. A few moments later, she started to set off towards camp.

A loud shriek of pain, frighteningly childlike. "NOO!" Katniss ran into the clearing, but it was too late, Rue lay curled up in a ball, the spear buried in her stomach. She turned her head to face Katniss "Katniss, win." She smiled slightly before her brown eyes closed, forever. Marvel grinned dangerously and sharply pulled the spear out, brandishing the blood stained blade. She clumsily reached for the knife in her pack and Marvel laughed darkly "What are you going to do with that, huh? Throw it at me? Come on, do it." She planted her feet firmly, trying not to let her immense fear show. This was it, either she would die right here right now, or she would live. She took aim, and threw the blade. Marvel ducked and the blade only managed to nick him on the shoulder. He growled irritably and charged towards her, hefting the spear onto his arm. She ran as fast as she could, heart thudding in her chest. Thwip! The spear collided with her leg, sending her sprawling to the ground with a howl. Marvel loomed over her, blood from his arm dripping onto her face. "You know, I think I'll just leave you here to suffer, no need to end a life so quickly." He smirked and started to saunter off, before turning back and delivering a kick to her stomach. Thump, her leg cried out in pain. Thud, she thinks her ribs are completely shattered. "Suffer, girl on fire." Marvel hissed.

She took a raspy breath and curled up in a ball, trying to soothe some of the pain. Her ribs were on fire and her leg, well, imagine being stabbed with a spear and being kicked at least three times, and you'll have a pretty good idea. She began feeling light headed and there was an extremely loud whining that she couldn't shake. She hoped Prim wasn't watching this, she hoped her mother was busy with someone and Prim was helping her. She didn't want them to see her like this, in a heap on the ground, moaning in pain. She wept just thinking about them. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, she wept. I'm sorry I'm not there for you, little duck, I'm sorry I yelled at you, mother, I'm sorry I was too late Rue. She lay there, crying bitter tears and rocking herself back and forth, and as the night grew colder, she eventually succumbed to sleep.

 **A/N This is a slightly longer chapter, isn't it? I hope you enjoyed my take on this scene and I hope you're not too angry I left out the most tear jerking scene in the book. A massive, huge thankyou to everyone who reviewed, said they enjoyed this story, I can't believe this started out as just a little short story about what could have happened, and now, wow, seven chapters and counting! Words can't express how over the rainbow I am :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger games in any way, any mistakes are all mine and I take full responsibility for them. I AM OVER THE RAINBOW! OMG you guys, I can't believe you're still reading this, I hope you've enjoyed the story so far and I hope that you don't hate me too mush for changing the plot line A LOT, so on with the story, and please enjoy :)**

It seems that she spent at least half of her time in the arena either unconscious or in pain, more often than not, both at the same time. Now was not an exception. But as she stretched awkwardly and struggled to sit up, all she could do was cry. Rue, her only ally, was dead, her precious bow, destroyed, her body completely battered. She sat up abruptly, her bag, where was it? Marvel, he must have taken it while she was unconscious. Now, she would surely die. The girl on fire, had just been extinguished. She decided to go to the lake again to clean up and clear her head to think of new strategies.

On her way back from the lake, she stopped by the clearing where marvel had killed Rue, and sure enough, the knife was still lodged into a tree where she had completely missed. She tugged it out and examined the blade. Regardless of the blazing heat or the constant exposure to water, it was still as beautiful and shiny as it had been on the day Clove had thrown it at her. Well, if she was going to try and survive, she might as well get a good feel on the blade. So she planted her feet as Gale had shown her, squared her shoulders, and focused on a tree knot. Thwang! The blade had hit at least ten centimetres off its mark, and after maybe two seconds, it wobbled and fell out. She growled in frustration and stormed over to the tree, yanking it out and taking position once again.

It was well into the afternoon until she managed to get it to stick. That'll do for now, she thought in satisfaction. Not as expert as Clove, but for now, these skills would come in handy. Having no bag to tuck the blade in, she tore a strip of fabric and worked it into a respectable enough sash to carry the blade. She hoisted herself into a tree and waited for the anthem. Straightaway, the anthem blared out and the Capitol seal was projected into the sky. No deaths today, so there was Marvel, Cato, Clove, Fox face, Thresh, Peeta and herself. Seven people in all, she just hoped they would beat each other senseless so that she could maybe have a small hope of winning.

Her stomach gurgled pitifully and she grimaced "Haymitch, please, just a loaf of bread would be enough, just, please?" Katniss hated how pathetic she sounded, but if she wanted to appeal to sponsors, then right now, being the weak-separated-from-her-lover-girl-on-fire was probably the way to go. One minute, two, nothing happened, so she just curled herself up and prepared to sleep, staring up at the night sky. How long had it been? A week? Two? Probably no one could tell, especially not her, what with all that time knocked unconscious and weaving in and out of hallucinations. Never mind that, she scolded herself. Get some rest and tomorrow think of a plan, you'll feel better in the morning.

 **A/N You're probably fed up with this by now, BUT, please please please do the author a favour and review, tell me what you think, what I should do next, writing advice, just review, pretty please?**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger games in any way, any mistakes are all mine and I take full responsibility for them. I'm so sorry, I forgot to post this chapter, so to avoid confusion, read this chapter :)**

Since her battered body still hadn't recovered, she decided to just dig for roots nearby to fill her stomach. She plopped to the ground ungracefully with a sigh and began to dig with her knife, pulling out a handful of roots in a few moments. Yet her stomach still gurgled in protest. She sighed and closed her eyes, leaning against the tree. A soft plop on the ground next to her startled her out of her daydream of food. A parachute! She scrambled to get it open, pulling out a small loaf of bread and a blob of cheese. A small note was at the bottom, in itty bitty writing. 'Stay strong, girl on fire, you can do it' Oh, Haymitch. She smiled up at the sky, mouthing thank-you. She tore off a small chunk of bread and dabbed a bit of cheese on it, savouring the rich, creamy cheese, and the warm, fluffy bread. She carefully wrapped the food up in the cloth it came in and tied the pack of food to her waist with the parachute. Then, she set off in search of a better food source.

Around three or four hours later, a trumpet blared and she looked up from her search for berries to listen eagerly. Claudius Templesmith's voice blared out "Attention ladies and gentlemen, from now on, two tributes may be allowed to win, but only if they are from the same district, I repeat, two tributes from the same district may win, thank-you."

Before she can stop herself, she screamed out Peeta's name. She abruptly clapped a hand to her mouth and a big smile spread across her face, Katniss tilted her head up to the fading daylight, so the cameras would be sure to catch it. Now that she had a sure purpose, she would start searching for Peeta in the morning.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger games in any way, any mistakes are all mine and I take full responsibility for them.**

In the morning, Katniss started her journey by having a small meal of bread and cheese. She knew from experience that cheese wouldn't last as long as bread, so she decided to save the bread and instead eat the cheese until she found a better food source that wasn't completely made up of plants and berries.

She was getting thinner, that much was certain, her cheeks were hollow and her hip bones and ribs were much more prominent. Her body was splotched with bruises and there was a cut on her lip, not to mention the cut on her leg, luckily that wasn't deep, only a small cut that she easily cleaned and bandaged, even with her limited supplies. While she ate, she thought about where Peeta might be hiding himself. No one could survive without water for that long, that much was certain, so he must be near a water source, definitely not so close to the career camp, but near some sort of water source. The stream, the one that ran all the way from her and Rue's camping spot to all the other water sources, well, it was worth searching.

In a way, it was almost for the better that she didn't have a full pack to carry, that way, when she was balancing on the mossy stones in the stream, she didn't have to worry about spoiled supplies. When she had first set off, it had pained her to know that she couldn't even set up a false alarm fire to confuse the careers, she didn't even have a flint or any matches to start the fire, thanks to Marvel pinching her pack. So instead, she laid a trail that led to a false end, figuring it was better than nothing. As she walked barefoot through the stream, she was tempted to yell out his name, but in fear of the careers, she kept quiet, relying on her senses to help her find Peeta. She stopped in her tracks and peered closely at a boulder. It had a bloody smear across it, as if someone had tried to use their hand to wipe away a bloody stain.

Peeta, he would be the only person besides Fox face and Thresh to be here. Although Fox face was way too sly and clever to be out in the open and try to wipe away a blood smear like that, and Thresh, well, Katniss didn't think he would choose to hide somewhere like this.

Feeling encouraged, she started to walk further along the stream, hissing his name as loud as she dared "Peeta! Peeta, where are you?" She slipped on a few loose pebbles and lurched forwards, crying out in surprise, falling to her knees in the stream. A pained groan and a forced laugh "Here to finish me off, sweetheart?"

She sat up abruptly and whirled around, "Where are you? Peeta is that you?" A croaky laugh and the ground trembled from underneath her. She yelped and scrambled to her feet "Ow, stop it, it's me, I'm down here!" She froze and looked down at the rocky bed of stones. A grinning face covered in mud and tiny pebbles looked up at her. She opened her mouth in slight confusion, then saw that the rest of his body was covered in layers of mud and pebbles and bits of moss, giving the impression of a river bed. She exhaled slowly and carefully got off "Sorry Peeta, are you okay? This is amazing, how did you do this, I couldn't even see you!" Peeta laughed throatily and shrugged "The art of camouflage and decorating cakes, my dear Miss Everdeen. Yeah, I'm alright, I just thought that the first time you fell on top of me, it wouldn't end up like this." Katniss felt the sides of her mouth twitching in a grin and she rolled her eyes "Come on, let's get you out of there, can you walk alright?" "Wait, lean down a bit first" Katniss obliged, trying to kneel down and avoid kneeing Peeta in the stomach at the same time. He whispered in her ear "Remember, we're madly in love, so feel free to kiss me any time you like, for example, right now." She merely scoffed and stood up "Come on, lover boy, let's get you out of there."

 **A/N I hope you like how I put my own little spin on this scene ha-ha , poor Peeta. Massive thanks to everyone who reviewed.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger games in any way, any mistakes are all mine and I take full responsibility for them. Again, most of the story line will be completely blown off the road, so don't expect everything to be the same, but on the bright side, Peeta's back, yay :D**

When she had washed away all the mud and moss on Peeta, what confronted her almost made her run to the nearest bush and retch. Peeta's leg was all swollen where Marvel had cut him, and there was pus, and thick, oozing blood, and the stench of rotting flesh. but she'd steeled herself and commended herself to treat it as well as she could.

A few hours later, when Peeta was all cleaned up and safely hidden in a cave Katniss discovered, they were looking through a pack of supplies Peeta had stowed away in a bramble patch before he hid himself in the stream. He told her that a few hours after Rue's cannon sounded, Marvel ran and stumbled upon his campsite and attacked him. Marvel managed to stab him in the leg with his spear, but Peeta's strength defeated him. He'd thrown a large rock and crushed Marvel's skull on impact. His cannon had sounded not even a second later. After treating him with some temperature reducing pills from Marvel's pack, she chewed the inside with her lip, brow furrowed in concentration. What to do next, "Oh, wait here for a bit" she came back a few minutes later with a handful of Rue's leaves. Peeta raised an eyebrow quizzically and sat up straighter "What are those for?" Katniss shrugged and kneeled down next to him "I think they draw out infection, Rue used them to treat the tracker jacker stings."

Even though the sight of pus is normally a good thing, where infected cuts are concerned, Katniss still felt like vomiting. Peeta gave her a lopsided sympathetic smile "Are you ok? You look kind of green." Katniss gave him a small, tight lipped smile and shook her head

"No, no, I'm fine, uh, let's see, I think I'll patch up your wound now."

"Katniss"

She looked up to see Peeta mouth the words 'how about a kiss?' She managed a small bark of laughter before she reached for the small medical pack "No thank you, I'll wait until all the pus is gone and I can't see any more of that wound." "Aww, come on, it'll make me feel better" She snickered and pulled out a needle and a small spool of thread "After I patch you up, apply some of this creamy stuff on it and wrap it up." Peeta gave a childish pout, although his eyes were twinkling and he couldn't quite keep back the small smile "Here, have a dried pear." She tossed a small bag of dried fruit at him, which he caught, but quickly set back down on the floor, claiming he 'wasn't hungry right now' She narrowed her eyes and snagged the bag of fruit with her fingers "I'll give you a kiss after you've been bandaged and after you have something to eat." So he ate a little bit, reluctantly.

After she finished treating his leg, along with his other wounds, the cut seemed so much more manageable, all wrapped up in nice clean cotton. She breathed out in relief"So, about that kiss…" Peeta looked up at her through his eyelashes, looking completely ridiculous throughout his 'seductive' routine. Katniss smirked and rolled her eyes "You never give up, do you?"

"Only when there's something important on the line." "If I kiss you, will you quit it for the rest of the day?"

He gave an exaggerated sigh and pretended to think it over before nodding. "Fine, here you go." She gave him a small peck on the cheek and rocked back on her heels smirking as he sat there looking cheated "Well, you never said what type of kiss."

 **A/N Aww, finally a scene where Katniss isn't running for her life, or being battered from head to toe, or unconscious... Enjoy and please review :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games in any way, all mistakes are mine and I take full responsibility for them. Ok, so I've decided to just abandon the Hunger games plot and just kind of 'make it up as I go', but rest assured, all the important parts will still be there:)**

A few hours later, much to Peeta's insistence and Katniss's stubborn refusal, all her wounds were cleaned and bandaged, from the smallest scratch to the mild cut on her leg. She crouched by the entrance, holding several long strands of vine and trying to weave them into a net to hide the cave entrance. Peeta sat propped up against the wall watching her. She growled in frustration and threw it down "Urgh, this is hopeless, I hate this!" She walked back over to Peeta and sat down with a huff. He laughed slightly and reached over for the bundle of vines, doing a much better job of weaving. Katniss watched him for a while before sighing and leaning back against the wall. "You know," Peeta spoke up "if you want it to hide us better, maybe a layer of mud and extra leaves would make it more believable." She nodded and lifted a section of the woven net "Mm, maybe tomorrow, but for now, let's see if your temperatures gone down." She frowned and dug around in the pack for the small bottle of pills, instructing him to take two while she went to refill the other water bottle. When she got back, she applied a damp strip of cloth to his forehead, to try and cool him down, then insisted he go to sleep.

She sat by Peeta in his sleep, occasionally checking his forehead for his temperature and swapping the cloth out for a damp one. After a while, she found herself absentmindedly stroking his blonde, tufts of hair. She paused briefly to smile at his slightly open mouth and quiet, snuffling snores. He stirred from his sleep and gazed around blearily before smiling crookedly up at Katniss. She smiled back and touched his cheek lightly, he took her hand in his and raised it to his mouth, lightly pressing it to his lips. "It's about time you woke up, you feeling any better?" "Well, you're here, aren't you?" her mouth lifted in a smile as she got to her feet "Alright, Romeo, I'm going to get some berries for you, and by the time I get back, that water bottle better be empty." Peeta raised his hand in a mock salute and grinned "Yes, ma'am." She grinned back and ducked her head to exit the cave "Oh, and by the way, you snore in your sleep." And with that, she slipped outside.

 **A/N Is it just me, or does the song 'without the love' (By Demi Lovato, I love that song!) kind of describe Katniss and Peeta's relationship after the hunger games? Also, how Katniss viewed his affections for her a little bit before the actual games. Also, don't forget to review, I know, you must hate me for always repeating this, but just sayin, the buttons right there...**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger games in any way, any mistakes are all mine and I take full responsibility for them. Sorry for the slow updates and yes, I know this chapter is short and a little, erm, sluggish, but it won't be long until it gets at least a little more exciting, promise!**

She crept out silently, quickly glancing to her left and right, looking out for danger. When she was satisfied that there was none, she stepped forward, and nearly crushed the small parachute at her feet. Peeta jumped and nearly let out a yelp when she came barging in through the entrance. "Oh, sorry Peeta, but look, look what Haymitch sent you!" Peeta relaxed noticeably and leaned forward eagerly. It was a small pot of lamb stew with a few chunks of bread. She reached up and frowned when she felt how hot his forehead was. "Here eat as much as you can, you're sick so you need the food more than me."

But, regardless of any coaxing, threatening or begging, it still takes at least an hour for him to finally drain the whole pot, sip by small sip. And, yes, she'll admit it, a few kisses.

Later, when they'd both finished eating and Peeta had taken some more fever pills, they agreed that Peeta would take the first watch while Katniss caught up with some sleep. After a few hours more than they'd agreed on, she awoke a little groggily. "Peeta! It's almost night time, why didn't you wake me?" He shrugged "I did try to, but you just pushed me away and went urghh, mph." She opened her mouth indignantly and whacked him in the arm, smirking "I did not," He smiled sheepishly "No, you didn't, but it did make a nice change to see your sleeping face rather than your scowling awake face, to be honest." A scowl and another whack on the shoulder.

After checking through their meagre supplies, she decided that a soup would be sufficient, and since she was definitely not a cook, this was one of her better meals. She set to work, purifying some water with a small bottle from the medical kit and gathering some herbs, roots and plants. sadly, there was no meat, since she didn't have a bow, and the small coil of wire in her bag was in her pack, which Marvel had taken, and now, who knows where all her stuff had gone? When all of the soup was gone, they settled down to listen to the anthem and to check for any deaths.

There were no more cannons today, no one dead, but who knew when that would change?

 **A/N Argh, it's done, this chapter is finished and I am literally hitting my head against my desk, this wasn't my best work, but still… This was sort of just a filler chapter so we can move onto the next scene, otherwise it wouldn't make sense if Peeta is extremely sick one minute, and running around the forest collecting night lock berries fit as a fiddle the next, huh? So just stay with me, and please review.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger games in any way, any mistakes are all mine and I take full responsibility for them.**

"I'm bored." Katniss scoffed "And why would that be?" Peeta stuck his bottom lip out in a pout and crossed his arms "I'm stuck here in this cave with this stupid leg," He pointed accusingly at his leg. "Okay, so, do you want anything? Are you hungry?" He paused for a minute, tilting his head to the side in thought "Well, what about a story?" "A story? Really?" "Mm, a happy one." He nods and leans back, making himself comfortable. She stared off thoughtfully and hummed a little as she thought of one "Okay, alright, did I ever tell you the story about how we got Prim's goat? No? Alright then, well…"

Peeta chuckled and settled back down "That, was a good story, thanks." She shrugged and stood up "No problem, just try to rest." He cringed and carefully tried to shift his leg. "What's wrong?" He shrugged and waved it away "It's alright, my legs' a little sore though."

"Speaking of your leg, let's check up on it, shall we?" Katniss scooted over to Peeta's side, gingerly unwinding the bandage. She pursed her lips and gave him a weak smile "Well, there's no more pus, but it's starting to swell up a bit, and the…" Peeta gently placed one of his hand on hers, smiling softly "Katniss, I know what blood poisoning is, even if I'm not even remotely related to a healer." She exhaled deeply, rocking back on her heels "Ok, well, drink some more water, I don't think you'll need any more fever pills, although…" There is a loud trumpet and Katniss scrambles out of the cave, listening intently "Attention, ladies and gentlemen, this is an invitation for a feast. Now, I know what you all are thinking, and some of you may be declining my invitation, but this is no normal feast, because each and every one of you need something, desperately." There is a small pause before the message continues "The feast will be held at the Cornucopia, at dawn. Each of you that attend, will find that something you so desperately need in a small backpack, labelled with your district number, think hard about attendance, for some of you, it is your last chance at survival." And then, silence. She slowly walked back into the cave, and the look on her face must have said it all "No, you are not going." Peeta said firmly. Katniss threw her hands up in the air, exasperated.

"Well, what choice do I have? You could be dying!" '

"But you could die if you go to that feast, Cato, and Clove and the rest of the tributes, you could die!" "What makes you think that?" Peeta stared at her, expressionless "You don't have any weapons, you haven't even eaten enough to feed a dog." "Because I've been looking after you!" She burst out, before sighing "Alright, okay. If you promise to do exactly as I say and stay put, I won't leave this cave in the next twenty four hours, alright?" He looked at her warily before sighing, and nodding slowly "Alright, agreed." "Good, now stay here, I'll get more stones and plants for another soup."

After he'd eaten, and enthusiastically voiced how delicious it was, Katniss gathered up the pot and spoons to go and wash. She was so lost in her thought, she almost didn't notice the parachute, even though it flew nearly right past her. She sprang after it, reaching and grabbing for it manically. She ripped off the fabric to reveal a small bottle. Immediately her spirits fell. What good could a small bottle like this do? Even though Capitol medicine was advanced and specially brewed in labs, she doubted a small bottle like this would even make a dent in aiding Peeta's wounds. She uncorked the bottle and sniffed it cautiously. Sickeningly sweet, and when she dipped in a finger to test it, there was no question. It was sleep syrup, enough to knock someone out for almost a day. She nearly threw the bottle in the stream and screamed profanities at Haymitch when she paused, recollecting her thoughts. A whole day. A feast at dawn. Medicine for Peeta. She looked around and walked over to a berry patch, stripping the berries from the bush, and mashing them in the pot, adding a few mint leaves to make doubly sure the taste wasn't as obvious.

"Look Peeta, I found a patch of new berries." She fed him a spoonful of the syrup berry mixture "They're very sweet, what are they?" Another spoonful.

"They're sugar berries, my mother makes jam with them, haven't you had them before?" "No, I've never heard of them."

"That's because they only grow wild and in certain conditions." Another spoonful, only a little bit left.

"They're really sweet, almost like," "Syrup." Peeta tried to spit out the last mouthful, but Katniss clamped down his mouth, forcing him to swallow, but even then, he was starting to lose consciousness. "I'm sorry Peeta, but who can't lie?"

 **A/N Urgh, I am hopeless at writing medical things, well at least this chapter is done so we can start heading to the feast! Sorry about the sloppy chapters, I've just been really not bothered at all, but I can safely say that things will get more exciting next chapter. Please review and tell me what you think, as a writer, I thrive on your comments and thoughts about my writing.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger games in any way, any mistakes are all mine and I take full responsibility for them. I am really sorry about skimming over so many of the details, but er, not to insult or anything, but –in muffled voice- the movie skipped a LOT of details, but it's up to your reviews to tell me what you think, and now, enjoy!**

She ran, as fast as she could, her eyes set on the small pack with the numbers 12 in bold writing. Whizz! There was the tell-tale sign of a blade whirling through the air towards her. She ducked and fell to the ground, the knife skimming the air above her. She scrambled back to her feet and sprinted the last few metres to the table. She zoomed in on the pack and secured it on her wrist. It was really too small to put it anywhere else. She ducked and made to scurry away in a half crouch, in order to avoid the next lot of knives. As she turned, a knife struck her on her forehead, above her right eyebrow. She wiped at the blood, it very effectively blinded her as she stumbled around, trying to make sense of her surroundings, before Clove slammed into her with force, sending her sprawling on her back.

"Where's your boyfriend now, huh? Left you all alone?" Katniss stared her down, even though she struggled to break free from Clove's death grip, another knife dangerously close to her face. "No, in fact he's not far away at all, Peeta!" Clove delivered a punch to her windpipe, stopping any further noise. She glanced around the clearing nervously, before turning back to Katniss with a deadly grin "Liar." She leered, in a sing-song "Cato knows where he cut him, he'll be dead by now, if not, then whatever's in the back pack will help him, but we won't let that happen, will we?" Clove grinned slyly from where she had Katniss pinned to the ground. She opened her jacket to reveal an impressive array of glittering knives, neatly aligned inside "I promised Cato that if he let me have you, I'd give the audience a show." Katniss, regardless of her croaky wheezing, still glared defiantly up at Clove, her eyes a steely grey. "You know, it's not safe to wander around the woods alone at night, unarmed, in an arena, with actual talented tributes." Katniss snarled at her, and spat in her face. Clove jerked her head back with a shout and growled, once again ramming her fist into Katniss's throat, therefore reducing Katniss into a pile of shivering flesh, gurgling and clutching at her throat desperately"Let's get started then, shall we?"

Clove twirled the selected knife in her hand "But first, we have to make sure you won't be going anywhere." With that, she drove the knife into Katniss's thigh with a big smirk, eliciting an anguished, hoarse howl. She laughed in delight, twisting the knife further, dragging it down, making a deep gash, running from the top of her thigh to just above her knee, before pulling it out and wiping it daintily on Katniss's jacket.

Katniss lay on her back, her head drooped to the side, face pale and panting heavily. Clove laughed in delight "Oh, don't worry, the funs not over yet!" She plucked the small pack up with her right hand, smiling evilly down at her "What's this, huh? Is it medicine? Let's have a look, shall we?"

"Noo!" the glass needle lay, shattered on the ground, in a pool of clear liquid. "Whoopsie daisy, I guess lover boy won't be getting better anytime soon now, will he?" She cackled in laughter, a grating, irritating sound that echoed and bounced around Katniss's mind. The medicine, gone, no, the medicine, Peeta…

An enraged roar came from the trees and Thresh thundered out, knocking Clove off Katniss before picking her up roughly and keeping her still in a death hold "What were you gonna do, huh, chop her up like you did to that little girl?" "No, no, not me, please, no." Clove shook her head vigorously, clambering to release his hold on her neck. Thresh growled and flung her against the Cornucopia, where she lay, panting and scrambling to get away, shrieking in high pitched tones "Cato! Cato help me!" He picked up a rock and charged at Clove with a yell. But, he never made it. He paused, his eyes glazed over "No." Thresh choked out, blood trickling from his mouth. He fell to his knees, then onto his stomach on the ground, wheezing. A knife stuck out of his back, blood spurting from the puncture.

Katniss looked up weakly to where Cato was standing, he held a larger, even sharper blade in his hand. he raised it up above his head, before bringing it down with a sickening thud onto Thresh's neck. Cato scrambled over to Clove, cradling her in his arms and stroking her hair, murmuring soft reassurances. With a pang, she thought back to Peeta, lying alone in the cave, under the effects of the sleep syrup. He'd die in the next few days, without his medicine, he'd die, surely. Her eyes flickered open to where Clove was tugging on Cato's shirt, pleading, it seemed. She saw Cato glare at Thresh's dead body before he turned back to Clove, with a resigned look on his face. He carefully picked her up and ran back to where they came from, the shadows of the trees, leaving her all alone, in a pool of her own blood. Katniss panted and looked around her. There was nothing. She obviously couldn't walk, her leg burned and her heart was thumping a pathway out of her chest. It hurt, it hurt so much that she couldn't help the guttural, animal like howls that erupted from her throat. She couldn't take it anymore. She whimpered in pain and stretched her arm out to her right. "I'm sorry I couldn't win, Prim, mother. I'm sorry, Peeta."

She drove Clove's discarded knife into her chest with a soft moan before she fell limply, her hands splayed out, her eyes still open. And all throughout Panem, there were tuts of 'oh, what a shame', from the Capitolians, and there were tears of grief from her friends, and there were signs of respect, lingering on the rebels hands.

 **A/N Ok! That's finished, I hope you liked it. We never find out what happened to Peeta, or will we? This is the part where I say 'you'll find out, oh yes you will… But only if you review!' cos I've got an idea all lined up, hehehe.**


End file.
